Mobile devices such as cellular telephones, personal digital assistants, and laptop computers are widely used for the many benefits they provide. The portability of these devices allows a person greater levels of connectivity. A cellular telephone, for example, can be carried allowing a person to send and receive telephone calls. A personal digital assistant can be used to send and receive email or instant messages. A laptop can be used at a wireless hot spot to send and receive electronic communications such as instant messages and email.
These devices, while providing the convenience of mobile communication, can be lost, stolen or forgotten. For instance, a person may leave a cellular phone behind when leaving the house or a laptop computer may be stolen. In some instances a person may not realize that they have become separated from their mobile device. As a result, communications directed to the device can be missed, resulting in perhaps a loss of productivity or missed opportunities.
Prior art solutions to the problem of being separated from a mobile communication device include periodically calling a voice mail box to check for messages or traveling back to the last known location of the mobile device. These solutions can be an inconvenience, as they may involve unwanted travel and time commitments. In addition, these prior art solutions do not provide an indication that a person has become separated from a mobile device. Accordingly, it would be desirable for a person to be automatically notified that he or she has become separated from his or her phone or other communication device and possibly to be provided with options for taking corrective actions that mitigate the consequences of the separation.